Balkan Defence Monitor 2023

The main policy purpose of the Balkan Defence Monitor remains the same as in the last year. In recent years, the local elites have misused the lack of transparency related to defence policies in the Western Balkans, turning the military into a tool of domestic political promotion rather than a public good. This model of behaviour did not cause an armed conflict, and it is unlikely that it will do so in the future. However, it has poisoned the already fractious political ties between the countries of the region and fostered an atmosphere of distrust. To counter these negative occurrences, data on the defence sector needs to be made accessible to the citizens of Western Balkan countries and the international community. The ongoing war in Ukraine and the destabilisation of the European security environment make such an approach even more relevant.

The Balkan Defence Monitor is a research project that was launched by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) to collect data and analyse key information about defence policies in the six countries of the Western Balkans region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia). The initial Balkan Defence Monitor of 2022 was a pilot research project (it was completed in 2022), and this report represents its continuation. Just like the previous one, it provides an overview of the annual defence expenditures, key strategic documents, international military cooperation (military exercises, military donations and participation in peace missions) and representation of women in the defence sectors of the six selected countries. The new report however includes transparency in the defence sector as another area of analysis.

This publication is produced within the Transparent Defence Systems for Peaceful Western Balkans project with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).